Learning Opponents Body Motions “Tells”

Poker has become an enormously popular game and is increasing become more so as legalized gambling spreads across the US and has now invaded all aspects of popular culture. Social networking sites have their own poker game applications, which are also extremely popular. Many experts and beginners alike paint poker to be a game based on statistical probability, claiming that those who master the numbers will master the game, yet there is more to poker than meets the eye (or is there?). Let’s discuss some body tells to advance your profits.

People Wear Their Hearts on Their Sleeve

If you learn how to play poker, you will soon realize that it’s more of a mental game especially when there is real money involved. With money involved, people get emotional, and since our bodies respond in unique ways depending on our emotional states, we can have involuntary movements and signals that we may not be aware of. In shore, people get twitchy when money is on the line, and these visual signs are also referred to as tells.

If you are playing poker face-to-face, the task of taking note of your opponent’s actions or reactions becomes easier. Their body language is always worth observing. The type of hand your opponent has can be analyzed through his body movements, posture and so forth. If you take the time to observe how they react if they have good cards, you can use this to your advantage as well.

Common Tells to Look For

Case 1: Some players feel uneasy if they have weak cards and tend to wriggle in their seat. Some sweat or scratch their heads.

Case 2: Some players who have strong cards may sit straight up out of confidence or may not be able to hide their smile with the delight of their cards. These are some of the more obvious tells, however you’re really going to have to be a detective to take note of some of the more subtle nuances about your opponent that give away his cards.

Essentially, you can make a mental note on how they react whenever they have a strong or a weak hand, providing you valuable information during the game.

Watch Your Own Body Reactions and Learn

The same rule applies to you as well. If you are observing them, more likely they are also observing the way you move. Be very careful about how you react when you have a strong or weak hand. You might be the one giving your opponent tells that could be used against you. Become a master at neutralizing your feelings and your body will follow suit. It’s very much worth it as, after all, the reason why you are playing is to give yourself the biggest advantage possible to win their money, not give them yours. As well, if you study how players are analyzing your tells, you can reverse these tells on bigger pots. Set them up!